Angle blow-off valve



Feb. 24, 19311 w. 6. WILSON 1,793,659

' "ANGLE BLOW-OFF VALVE Filed Aug. 31, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I /Z n U 4j a 5. F

Feb. 24, 1931. w. G. WILSON ANGLE BLOW-OFF vKLvE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledAug. s1,v 1926 Z 0 i M r 0, W. 5

Patented Feb. 24, 1931 neural) STATES PATIENT orFicr.

WYLIE 6. WILSON, or JERSEY CITY, new .rERsEY, ASSIGNOR TO EVERLAS'IIINGVALVE COMPANY, or JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, a CORPORATION or NEwJEBsEYANGLE BLOW-OFF VALVE Application filed August 31, 1926. Serial R0.132,840.

'. This invention relates to valves, particularl v blow-off vaIves forsteam boiler service, of the angle-type. As is well known, the blow-offvalve is from 6 time to time opened'to withdraw boiler water which hasbecome too dense, and is also used to empty the boiler when desired; thevalve being connected to the drain line at the level of about the lowestpoint in theboiler.

The blow-oil valve thus is required to withstand probably more severeservice conditions than almost any other valve. In the first place, thefluid being discharged by the valve passes from a confinement at highpressureto a zone at atmospheric pressure merely. Naturally, thevelocity of the fluid through the valve is high, as an accompaniment ofthe pressure drop. Such pressure reduction is precipitous, andrepresents an enormous force; especially where the drop is considerable,as in the case of high pressure boilers, in connection with which thepresent invention is of great value. The out-rushing fluid ordinarilycarries in suspension par-- ticles of sharp, gritty matter of'a highlyabrasive character. There results what may be termed an abrasive scourof parts of the valve interior, particularly at the valve seat and itsenvirons, but with seri- 80 ous scour also at other parts of the valve,especially where the valve is an angle-type valve, and the body orcasing presents an abutment surface for the fluid stream to cause thelatter to make approximately a right-hand turn to approach the valveoutlet.

One of the objects of'the present invention is to provide a valve bodvor casing having an abutment surface of the kind lastindicated, whereinsuch abutment forms a casing-wall 40 subdivision and wherein suchcasing-wall, at

said subdivisions and its neighboring subdivisions, is so designed-as toprolong the safe life of the valve. By safe life. is meant the number ofhigh-pressure stream-discharge hours to which the valve may be subjectedin service before the point is reached where there is no longer. presentthe proper factor of safety, against valvebreakage and thelconsequentdanger of scalding an attendant. I have found that according to theprestight valve closure.

ent invention,

the new valve may have a very long safe life,

if the abutment surface and the neighboring wall subdivisions are properly proportioned as to the average masses of the abutment and theneighboring wall subdivisions, to give a considerable average thicknessto the abutment wall subdivision. I prefer to rovide such mounting forthe abut ment sur ace wall, by employing solely therefor the aforesaidneighboring wall subdivisions and by making the latterof a certainthinness as'compared with the thickness of the wall subdivision carryingthe abutment 7 surface.

Another. object is to provide a valve Where 1n the scalding faces at thevalve outlet are protected against scour by the impact of the fluidbeing discharged under high velocity while carryin abrasive matterinsuspension. Another ob ect is to provide a valve wherein means areincorporated for preventing the trapping or pocketing of grittyaccumulations the vicinity of the which the movable valve member isseated;

may not interfere with tight closure at any valve closing operation .andat the same time may not damage any of the sealing surfaces in such away as to interfere with a tight closure at a subsequent valveclosingoperation.

Another object is to provide an angle valve wherein the valve membercarries a sharp edge which seals against the valve seat, but whereinsaid edge and seat are protected against non-tight valve closure, as theresult of side thrust of the fluid against the stem or other movin'valve part. Another object is to provide a valve wherein a plurality ofsealing faces are carried by a movable valve part, which faces coactwith other faces for conjoint action in efiecting Various other objectsand advantages of the invention will be specifically pointed out or willbe apparent hereinafter, in the course of a description of a preferredone of the various possible forms of the invention as shown in theaccompanying drawing; it being understood, of course, that such form ismerely illustrative of one combination and arrangement of partscalculated to attain the objects of the invention, pursuant to presentpreference, and hence the detailed description of such form now to begiven is not to be taken as at all defining or limiting the inventionitself. That is to say, the scope of protection contemplated is to betaken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as isconsistent with the prior art, and with explanatory references to thespecification only where a claim is ambiguous or to be impliedly limitedbe avoid such are in or said claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the valve stem in ond its express terms to erto save the validity of side elevation and other parts of the valve in asection which is axial to the inlet and outlet openings or ports;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view,.showing certain of the parts of Fig. 1 ona slightlyenlarged scale, but showing the valve only partly closed.

' Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view through the casing.

The valve illustrated includes a fixed structure and a movablestructure; the former including a valve casing 8, and the latter a valvestem 4, a valve head 5, a valve-closing ring 6, a threaded retainer 7for said ring, and a threaded plug 8 sleeving the lower end of the stemabove its terminal enlargement 9.

The valve casing 3 is in the main a unitary Y casting, including aninlet 10, an outlet 11, and

a casing proper incorporating a plurality of wall subdivisions 12 and14.

The wall subdivision 12 presents inside the valve'casing an abutmentsurface for giving the steam traversingthe valve a right-angled changeof direction, to direct the steam to make egress from the casing througha fixed member 15 having an upper cup 16 and a reduced bore opening intothe valve outlet 11.

Wall subdivision 12 is of a considerable thickness at its central partshown in section in Fig. 1; said wall 12 being reduced in thickness soas to blend smoothly into the side walls 14. Preferably, these sidewalls are of about the thickness indicated at 14:, from the points wherethey spring away from the plane containing the inner end of inlet 10, tothe point, such as that indicated at 1411, where they begin slightly toswell in the thickness to merge with the thickened subdivision 12. Itwill be noted that according to this arrangement each of thecomparatively thin wall subdivisions 14 has a rather considerablehorizontal line of curvature as compared with the similar line of themore massive" subdivision 12 carrying the wear from the abrasive actionof gritty particles in the fluid stream impinging against and deflectedby the abutment-surface 12a. In practice, I have found it desirable'toroportion the thicknesses of these wall sub ivisions so that the maximumthickness of a subdivision 14 is approximately 5/7 of that of thesubdivision 12.

The fixed member 15 is threaded into the valve casing as indicated andso as to make a fluid tight seal between itself and the easing, bycompressing a ring gasket 17 p The sealing ring atively small incross-sectional area, with the cross-sectional shape of the ringsubstantially that of a diamond. This shape produces an upper edge 6aand a lower edge6b, each in a single plane, with both planes parallel,and parallel to the plane containing the bottom wall of the cup 16 whichcarries the seating surface for the edge 6?). The cup bottom wall,further, is parallel to the surface forming the roof of the annularrecess 18 within which the ring is positioned and retained, but nottightly held, being loosely mounted so as to permit of slight play, by

pending from the valve head 5 and by sur face contact with the conicalrim portion of 6 is illustrated as relsurface contact with a cylindricalrib 5a dey a bottom enlargement on retainer 7. The; .1:

precise cross-sectional shape of the ring is relatively unimportant. The

tional area and sharp edges on both sides of the ring. In order toobtain a ring which shall operate according to the invention, in

cluding the ability to be shaped to present and retain for aconsiderable length of time important 1 features are comparatively smallcross-secv edges on opposite sides of exceeding sharpand thus havemovement relative to the other parts of the movable valve structureduring the final downward squeeze of the valve stem in closing thevalve. The required right closure of the valve is obtained by the linecontact of the edge 6?) against the bottom wall of cup 16 and the linecontact of edge 611 against the annular surface forming the roof ofrecess 18.

I havefound that when a sealing edge such as that shown at Ga or 6b isused, that is, a

sealing edge on a ring, an effect is produced cally rounded lower face,

dom of which it contacts. For instance, I'have test- I ed such a valveconstruction as that illustrated, wherein the sealing faces were notground at all, and simply used as they were turned 'on the lathe; and Ifound that the valve was tight not only under lbs. pressure, but alsotight under 250 lbs., and even 500 lbs. I made not only one test but amultipliclty of tests with the same valve; and I found the seal had atight life which was more than 40 times the tight life of a high gradestandard valve with relatively wide coacting faces on disc and seat,when controlling steam at 500 lbs. pressure. Tight closing of the valveas just described I found could always be relied on merely by applyinghand power, multiplied by the common screw thread connection between thevalve stem and hand wheel, with such hand wheel of the usual diameter.Fur ther, where grit is likel to be present, I find that the sharp edgepushes the grit aside and forms a clean metal-to-metal seal, whilerelatively wide faces crush the grit between them and cause leakage.

An important feature of the .lustrated valve in this latter connection,is the mounting of the valve head loosely on the stem 4. This loose'mount is obtained by having the plug 8 sleevethe stem with somelooseness, by shaping the enlargement 9 to have a spheriand by housingsuch enlargement loosely in chamber '19 roofed over b the bottom of plug8 and having a plane ottom wall 56, preferably parallel to the plane ofthe ring edges 6a and 6b. The result is that when the valve is almostclosed and the edge 66 is forcing its way through a grit collection inthe have a plowing or sweeping action on the grit. This looseness ofmount of the valve head on the valve stem, the retention of the ring onthe head to give the former slight freemovement, and the capacity of thering to flex definitely in different portions, all coact to insure tightvalve closure, to give long life to the valve, and to accomplish theseresults regardless of the presence of grit between the relatively movingvalve parts. Such a result is of course contributed I to in an importantdegree by the arrangement substantially perpendicular line of movementof the valve whereby the substantially uniplanar edges 6a and 6b and thesurfaceswith which they contact are all substantiallyparallel and to thegeneral head toward and away from the outlet 11.

Theoretically, an arrangementof the kind '1 hereto.

the permissible degree of ing the valve-head bottom of cup 16, somesidesway is possible and the edge 66 may side-play of the latter,

ceding would not seem to require a guide for the valve head; even thoughsuch a guide I the type of valve heretofore I is required in constructedwhere the coacting sealing elements of the valve member and seatare'both relatively wide surfaces.

that, due to theloose mounting of the valve head on the valve stem, theinrush of fluid acts transversely'of the head to throw the latter at aslight angle to the horizontal at aboutthe instant the edge 6b contactswith with, becomes clamped tighter and tighter thereagainst at a fixedangle ofinclination In other words, 1n the absence of a guide or-someequivalent restraining means 7 Actually, however, have found that toproduce a practical valve of the type herein disclosed, it is apparentlynecessary to provide a guide for the valvehead. I have found in thisconnection lnstead of sliding slightly across saiddescribed in' theparagraph immediately preto hold the Valve head against a greater thanside-sway, the-re'is not the required side-sway in one direction, thedirection of approach of the fluid stream toward the surface l2a,'andthere is a fatal excess of side-sway in the opposite direction. I havefound that best results are apparently. obtained when, at the instant ofsealing contact, the head is held to dispose the edges 6a and 6?) almostparallel to the plane of the surface in the bottom of cup 16.

This guide Iprefer to provide by constructas a cylindrical pistonworking in the cup 16 as a cylinder. When the valve is closed, as inFig. 1, the peripherthe valve is opened wide, the valve-head is,

of course,'well above the top of cup 16. Nevertheless, when the ingposition. The fit of the stem 4 in the head, while loose enough topermit some close to cause the head to make such entry.

As the head travels down in the cup, the wide portion 50 and the fitof'the same in combine to induce parallelism of j the clip,

the elements 66 and 21 prior to their ac, tual contact. Also,

pressure allaround the valve-head at the level ofsuchpoint.

Consequently, the plane of the edge 6b is is still sufficiently the headproperly enters the cups head is moved toward 'valve-clo'sthe instantthe relation of the parts shown in Fig. 2.is established, constrictionof the fluid stream at the point 20 tends to equalize the Said guide, inthe present instance, forms a part of a means having important operativefeatures, in that said means functions to revent the accumulation ofgrit or other oreign matter anywhere within the cup 16 and on the workinparts on or carried by the valve-head at its underside, as well as I toprevent damage from "the wire-drawing I sions of such seat, one smoothlyblending into The operation of said means effect common to most if notall'high-pres-' sure steam-valves as heretofore constructed' Said meansis carried partly by the valvehead 5 and partly by the cup 16, moreparticularly as shapings thereof. The cup comprises an upstandingcylindrical wall which curves into the flat seating surface surroundmgthe outlet port. Thus, on both sides of the limits of the possible edgecontacts of the ring 6 with the bottom of the cup, that is, on bothsides of the real valve seat for the edge 6?), there are extensions ofsuch seat imperceptibly merging therewith but considerably increasingthe width of the same; said seat and both these extensions beinguniplanar and parts of the cup bottom. In addition, there\ are furtheroutward extenthe other and the latter smoothly blending into that one ofthe first-mentioned exten-- sions outside said valve seat; such furtheroutward extensions bein that indicated at 22 in Fig. 2, and beyon" it,the cylindrical sidewall of the cup 16.

As to the valve head 5, note that beyond the fifth side, oroutercylindrical wall, of the ring 6 which is engaged by the innercylindrical surface of the depending rib 5a, the valve head has firstsome increase in diameter, due to the thickness of the said rib, thenmaintains this diameter for some distance above the bottom of the rib,until the bottom of the enlargement 5c is reached, and then the head hasa greater increase in diameter, which latter diameter is maintaineduntil the top of the enlargement 5c is reached.

Note further that the distance up along the rib is less than thedistance up along the enlargement. Note also that the ring 6 hasconsiderable protrusion below the bottom of the rib. The arrangement issuch that with the parts as shown in Fig. 2, the bottom of theenlargement 50 is well above the bottom of the cup 16. In other words,when the enlargemeiit has just entered the cup, as shown in Fig. dicularistance from the flat'bottom o the cup than the outer cylindricalsurface of the depending rib 5a is spaced in a radial direction from thecylindrical wall of the cup.

is as follows:

.ing of 5c and 16, the large 2i the edge 6?; is at a greater per enhadproceeded as far as shown in Fig. 2. No more grit can flow 'into' thecup 16; but of course fluid can. This fluid flows throu hthe constrictedopening at the point 20, and t ence as indicated by the arrows of Fig.2. Conse- 50 and cup 16. The cross-sectional area of.

the passage between elements 66 and 21 is much greater than between 50and 16. When- 66 and 21 approach each other so that the space betweenthem is the same as the spacsurface or wide face of head portion 50 thenoverlapped by the side-wall of cup 16, causes constriction of the fluidstream and protects elements 6 and 21. When the head first enters thecup, however, there is greater spacing between the bottoms of elements50 and 16 than between the bottoms of element 5a and 16; and as aresult, any grit under the element 50 is Assume that the valve closingoperation washed out by the fluid flow throu h a free and unrestrictedoutlet. Thus it wi 1 be seen that the movable valve-closing structurewith the walls carried thereby are so related to the chamber 16 with itschamber walls as to continuously provide, during movement of the valvesealing element 6 toward con-.

tact with the bottom of the chamber 16,'a assage for thevalve-traversing fluid, which ecreases in cross-sectional area towardthe port 11.

Finally, due to the fact that the bottom of the enlargement 50 on thevalve-head is set well above the, edge 6?), such edge is always shieldedfrom constricted fluid washing irectly across the same.

Inasmuch as many. changes could be made in the above construction, andmany apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could bemade without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense. g

It is also to be understood that the language contained in the followingclaims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of theinvention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

I claim:

1. In a valve, the combination of a fixed structure presenting a'valveport and an encircling substantially uniplanar surface 1ncluding avalve-seat, and a valve closing struc ture movable in a linesubstantially perpendicular to such plane, said valve closing structureincluding a support and a valve-head presenting a substantiallyuniplanar .surface means for floatingly mounting the valve-head on saidsupport and maintaining the last-.

ring-shaped sealing element, means for rementioned surface substantiallyparallel to the similar surface ofthe fixed structure as the valve isabout to be closed,'a flexible sealing element having relatively sharpedges on opposite sides, and means for holding the element with somelooseness on the valve-head sothat the valve is fully closed bysqueezing said element between, and said edges tlght against, theuniplanar surfaces of the two structures.

2. In a valve, a stem, a valve-head on said stem and rockably mountedthereon, a flexible taining the element on the head While permitting apart of the element to move relative to another part thereof, said ringbeing shaped to present a sharp edge beyond the head and insubstantially a single plane perp'endicular to the axis of the stem, anda fixed structure carrying opposite said plane and substantiallyparallel thereto a substantially I flat surface for engaging said edgeby line contactwhen the valve is closed, said fixed edge, means forgiving a closing movement to said valve-head along a line perpendicularto said planes, and meansfor retaining the closing member on thevalve-head to insure contact between said edge and the fixed structurewithin the confines of said surface, while ermitting parts of saidmember to be flexe as said closing movement nears completion.

4'. In a valve, the combination of a movable valve-head, a fixedstructure forming part of the valve casin and having a through port,said head and t e fixed structure each carrying substantially fiatsurfaces, the surface on the fixed structure encircling the port,'meansfor guiding the direction of travel of the head during closing of thevalve to maintain said surfaces substantially 'parallel yet variablefrom parallelism within given limits, a valveclosing ring of flexiblematerial shaped to present sharp edges at opposite faces of the ring,the stralght line which cross-sectionally of the ring joins said edgesbeing substantially parallel to the direction of travel of thevalve-head under control of said guiding means, and a ring-retainingmeans on the head for holding the ring for travel with the headwhileholding the ring edges and the surface on the head substantiallyparallel" yet variable from parallelism within given limits.

5. A valve-closing member for mterposition between opposed surfaces onrelatlvely movable valve parts, comprising a ring of hard elasticmaterial and having a cross section substantially diamond shaped butwith against both surfaces when the valve is fully.

closed, and means for retaining the member on the head.

7. In a valve, the combination of relatively movable valve-head andvalve-port structures, afiexible valve-closing member to be clampedtight between said structures to close the valve against high pressures,means for insuring such tight closure including a surface carried by thevalve-port structure, said member having a sharp edge to coact withapart of said surface, said memberbeing mounted in one of saidstructures so as to permit a gritlowing action of said edge duringclosing 0 the valve.

8. In a valve, the combination of a structure forming part of thevalvecasing and having a port surrounded by an annular surface, saidstructure also being shaped to provide a chamber 0 ening away from theport mouth so that a ottom for said chamber is formed by said surface, avalve-closing structure, a valve-sealing element carried by said'structure, said valve-closing structure being movable at right angles tothe plane of the port mouth to position said element to contact withsaid surface to cause closing of the valve, the walls of said chamberand the walls of the valve closing structure being so shaped and relatedto each otherthat during movement of said element toward contact 'withsaid surface, the passage between said walls for the valve-traversingfluid will decrease in cross-sectional area toward the mouth of saidport, said valveclosing structure including a part adjacent to andsurrounding said element and another part of greater cross-sectionalarea loosely slidable in said chamber during closing movement of thevalve-closing structure.

9. In a valve," the combination-of a structure forming part of thevalve. casing and having a port surrounded by an annular surface, saidstructure also being shaped to provide a chamber opening away from theport mouth so that a bottom for said chamber is formed by said surface,a valve-closing structure, a valve-sealing element'carried by saidstructure, said valve-closing structure being movable at right angles tothe plane of the port mouth to position said element to contact withsaid surface to cause closing of the valve, the walls of said chamberand the walls of the valve closing structure being so shaped and relatedto each other that during movement of said element toward contact withsaid surface, the passage between said walls for the valve-traversingfluid will decrease in cross-sectional area toward the mouth of saidport, said valve-closing structure including apart adjacent said elementof ,less cross-sectional area and a part thereabove of greatercross-sectional area, the latter part shaped to slide within the chamberloosel during closing movement of the valve-closing structure.

10. A valve whereof the casing has inlet and outlet ports and whereinsaid casing is shaped to provide a passage through the valve and topresent a part of said casing .as an impact and change-direction surfaceintermediate said ports for a high velocity high pressure fluid, saidsurface being carried by the casing wall and being of greater thicknessthan the walls of the casing which guide the fluid toward and away fromsaid surface.

11. The valve defined in claim 10, wherein the walls last-mentioned areimperceptibly blended with the wall carrying said surface, as the resultof gradual increases of thickness of the surface-carrying wall andgradual decreases of thickness of each of the other walls.

12. A valve comprising a casing having a discharge passage formedtherein and a fiat valve seat surrounding the discharge passage, acylindrical wall surrounding and extending above the seat, the surfaceof the cylindrical wall being curvingly merged into the surface of theseat.

13. A valve comprisingea casing having a discharge passage formedtherein, a removable element secured to the casing and formed with adischarge port in alinement with said discharge passa e, the removableelement being formed wit a fiat valve seat surrounding said dischargeport, a cylindrical wall formed on the removable element surround-.

ing and extending above the seat, the surface of the cylindrical wallbeing curvingly merged into the surface of the seat.

' 14. A valve comprising a casing having a discharge passage formedtherein, a removable element secured to the casing and formed with adischarge port in alinement with said discharge passage, the removableelement being formed with a flat seat surrounding the port and with acylindrical wall surrounding and extending upwardly and lying whollyabove the seat, and .a valve head discharge passage formed therein, aremovable element secured to the casing and formed with a discharge portin alinement with said discharge passage, the removable element beingformed with a flat seat surrounding the port and with a cylindrical wallsurrounding and extendingmpwardly and lying wholly above the seat, and avalve head adapted to fit into the cylindrical wall with a clearancethat is less than the vertical height of the cylindrical wall, said headcarrying a part adapted to form a seal against said seat.

16. A valve com rising a casing having a discharge passage ormedtherein, a seat surrounding the discharge passage, a cylindrical wallsurrounding and extendin above the seat, a valve stem, a head carried bythe stem,

a restricting wall carried by the head and adapted to fit loosely withinthe c lindrical wall ofthe casing, an annular face ormed on the headbelow the restricting wall, 'and a sealing member projecting from theannular face and spaced inwardly from the restricting wall, the sealingmember being adapted to form a seal against the aforesaid seat.

17. A valve head structurecomprising a stem, 21 head carried by thestem, an annular face formed on the lower side of the head, a circularflange projecting from an intermediate part of the annular face, asealing ring within'the flange, saidsealing ring having a fiat faceengaging thev inner side of the circular flange, a sharp corner next tothe annular face, a sharp corner extending away from the annular faceand projecting below the flange, and means for holding the sealing ringin position.

18. A valve head structure comprising a stem, a head carried by thestem, an annular face formed on the lower side of the head, a circularflange projecting from an intermediate part of the annular face, asealing ring of hard elastic material within the flange, and means forholding the sealing ring loosely in position for contacting with theannular face and with the inner side of the circular flange.

19. A sealing member for interposition between opposed surfaces onrelatively movable valve parts comprising a ring having a sharp upperedge, a sharp lower edge directly below the upper edge, and an outerperipheral surface substantially parallel to a line joining the upperand lower edges.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WYLIE G. WILSON.

Ill

' ,ifadapted to -fit' into close proximity to the cylindrical wall,-said head carrying a part I 'ag'aadapted to form aiseal against saidseat.

1 P "'.-.--15$ A- valve boniprising a casing having a

